The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-27
WHY SENATOR BROWN SMILED.
A "Reminiscences OF the Tariff Inter
views


WASHINGTON, Dec Ex-senator Brown,
of Georgia, once seen is not likely to be for
gotten. His long, yellowish white beard
gives him patriarchal appearance, and his
placid face is as unreliable as the Sphinx.
A larger man but one not less striking Is
Chief Doorkeeper Bassett, of the Senate,
whose long snowy white beard gives to HIM
also the air OF a patriarch. his race Is
quite as placid and unreliable as the
Senator's countenance. The very marked
difference between the two men IS that the
Senatorial step is soft and catllke, and enc
almost hears the ''purring" as ''Old Joe
Brown" the richest man in Georgia, moves
about the Senate Chamber. Now, on the
contrary, though there caa be but HUuie
liffere zee in their ages, Doorkeeper Bassetts
step is still springy and active. Not long
ago when the deluge of New York inter
viewers" on the Presidents message swept
over the Capital, Senator Brown and senator
German happened to be in the Senate
restaurant getting luncheon. They were at
separate tables, but it seems that odd joe
was combining the business Of eating with
he pleasure of slyly watching the Maryland
senator get rid of an interviewer" MT
Germans face expressed surprise, annoy
ance, and, it must be said, disgust. u
course he made short work Of it, and then
Senator Browns curiosity led him directly
over and he asked, as he sat down with con-
fidential nearness to Senator German:
What Is the matter, Gormanf You seem
put out about something"
why one of those fellows from New
York, you know. He wanted me to tell
him what thought of Q message, ana
what my views were on the tariff, was the
reply, III vexed tone,
well. what did you tell HING asked Sen
ator Brown, stroking his long beard with
unbelieving elaboration and determined to
get at the button of it by ferreting out the
cause of the others annoyance.
Il told him had nothing to say about the
message or tariff at present"
"Well, I'm sure there was nothing in that
to put you out" soothingly commented the
Georgia Senator.
sd like to have put him out. Why,
Brown, the fellows first question was
well, now, what do you think he asked
mer
Haven't the least idea,n with full en-
phasis on the first letter Of the word idea"
why, he began, Senator Brown, are
yon Democrat or Republican, Think OF
asking me such question:"
II wouldn't talk tariff, or anything else,
with newspaper fellow VINO didn't know
enough beforehand not to ask me such a
question:
seven years IN UQ6 OnlUeQ states Senate
and unknown by name and of unknown po-
litical faith vas more than the Maryland
Senator could stand. And to be taken for
Brown, of Georgia." too. OF course it
came out plump enough and with merci ess
directness There was dead pause. but
only for a moment. a smile more than
slowly passed over Senator Browns serene
countenance-pasSed slowly down and lost
itself in the long yellowish white beard.
Then he said with his deliberate, ministe-
rial coincidence manner:
"Gorman, can tell You something much
worse than that. One of these newspaper
fellows went for old Doorkeeper Bassett
yesterday and interviewed him ON the tariff
Now, what do you suppose the fellow said
when be got through with Bassett and went
outg'
"Oh, haven't an idea" replied Senator
German, Frightening up with the hope that
somebody else had been hit harder than
himself.
well, that newspaper fellow went out
and said: I've been talking for half an hour
in there with old Brown, of Georgia, aud
the only tariff he knows anything about is
the tariff of 1870"